Lads did anyone read the sunday times, and about Doyle being ****ed off on Friday? Said trap was only making excuses. It showed in his game and makes sense.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Yep ye got it one noely
saying that he is just using it as an excuse for dropping him. To be honest i didn't think Doyle was like that and i don't like to see that in a player like him. But it definitely makes sense as however injured he has been in the past he gave his all but Friday he looked somewhat subdued/disinterested. In the same piece it quoted trap saying 'i will show you' in reference to bringing Doyle on(as in doyles mentality) in the last 30 mins against Russia - had long not been injured for the last 2.
Doyle looked like an imposter on friday, absolute shadow of himself. I've heard various people say he appeared to be 'sulking' which would be very out of character. But... he was dropped before Long's injury and I could swear Trap said something about him being worried about his knee injury. Shades of the Steven Reid situation there.
Read somewhere that UEFA started favouring it after Spain needed to beat Malta by 11 goals to qualify and did so, ousting Holland on goal difference. Maybe it helps reduce match fixing in those kind of games too? There's been a fair few instances in club football of dodgy big results on the final day as two teams rig their games to edge the other on goal difference; this system stops that.
It is still silly though.
That's a good point but its application is very clumsy.
That in a 3 way tie we finish third but in a 2 way tie with Slovakia we finish first whilst making sense is laughable in that it clearly seems clunky.
As an aside... I've got that gooey day before an Ireland match feeling.
Come on Ireland!
Longest day ever ahead.
Surprised Trap hasnt called up Walters as a replacement for Long. He obviously believes he has enough cover in Cox (I have a feeling he might start Cox on Tuesday), who has admitted he struggles on the artificial surface.
With JOSH returning to England injured I am now very, very worried. We need Dunne and co. to have one hell of a game tomorrow.
I think we will start strong/solid then just be over run by the Russian midfield and attack 0-2, Just like always we are so predictable and have no plan B, oh Andy Keogh might come off the bench ....russians will poo their nappies ...ya!
Rte announced the team, Given, Kelly, ODea and Doyle, all start.
team announced: https://twitter.com/#!/FAIreland/sta...56470470754306
Starting XI for Russia: Given, Kelly, Dunne, O'Dea, Ward, Andrews, Whelan, McGeady, Duff, Keane, Doyle #IreRus
St. Ledger is suspended, right?
I fear for us, looking down the barrel here.
Still, the Euros is not the World Cup.
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yawn !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bye bye euros, my god are they ever goan freshen things up, Kelly never gets a game at Fulham. Predictable as hell, sure he fully deserves the massive wage he is on. Master of the art of having midfield without having a midfield
Not surprised at all by the selection. Trap never has changed anything drastically throughout his career and he's not going to start now. The ultra conservative, sticks with the tried and tested.
Foley has not started any Prem games so far this season although he has more game time than Kelly. Trap is more familiar with Kelly so that's why he went with him. O'Dea impressed Trap V Italy, but he really didn't have much other choice with Clark not in squad.
Andrews' legs were gone after 60 mins fri night. It really was embarrassing watching him play. McCarthy should have come on at that time, no question. By leaving Andrews on, it meant Ireland effectively played the last 30 mins with 10 men. Crazy stuff. My one hope is that Andrews is taken off in this game early in 2nd half because he simply is not fit enuf for 90 mins of international football at the moment, especially in Moscow. But with McCarthy being the only alternative option, Trap may well decide to play him for the full 90.
Trap has often gone about that he could well play different systems depending on the occasion. Moscow was one occasion that I thought he may well throw McCarthy in a 5 man midfield because with only Andrews and Whelan in the middle, that could well be torn apart tomorrow night (in fact this is probably inevitable but don't want to sound too pessimistic). On one previous occasion, he tried 4-4-1-1 but this didn't work because he had McCarthy playing in the hole behind the striker which is not McCarthy's position. He ended up playing the role of the headless chicken. McCarthy needs to be deeper orchestrating play from the back and making attacking runs from deep. Trap has opted for a flat 4-4-2 again tomorrow night (brave but positive decision I suppose), although I would have preferred to have seen a 4-5-1 with McCarthy in.
Whelan and Andrews have to play out of their skin tomorrow night if we are going to get a famous win in Moscow.
I just hope that for 90 minutes they play like men possessed to make up for the fact that they'll be outnumbered in midfield. Will lightning strike twice (the Dublin massacre last year) or does the Trap have something up his sleeve?
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
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